POS1504-HPR THE EFFECT OF REMOTE AND FACE-TO-FACE STABILIZATION EXERCISES ON FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY OF ASYMPTOMATIC INDIVIDUALS
Authors: Y. Özel Asliyüce, O. Ulger
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2022)

Background In recent years, it has been emphasized that preventive rehabilitation approaches for problems such as low back and neck pain, which are very high in health expenditures, are more cost-effective than treating them. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, risk factors for individuals’ spinal health have increased and access to health care has become difficult (1). Therefore, interest in tele-rehabilitation, which is an important part of telehealth, has increased recently. Objectives This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of remote and face-to-face spinal stabilization exercise training on functional capacity tests in asymptomatic individuals. Methods Individuals who did not have chronic low back and neck pain and between the ages of 18-55 were included in the study. While the face-to-face group traditionally exercised under the supervision of a physiotherapist, the telerehabilitation group exercised with videoconferencing and asynchronous video recordings. Both groups performed progressive spinal stabilization exercises 3 days a week for 8 weeks (2). Before and after the training functional capacity tests (repetitive reaching, lifting object overhead, and sustained overhead work) were performed (3). Results Twenty (11 female, 9 male) individuals with a mean age of 30,252±9.06 and a mean body mass index of 24.36±4.09 were included in the study. There was no difference between the baseline values of functional capacity test scores of both groups (p&gt;0.05). There were significant improvements in the repetitive reaching and sustained overhead work tests after the exercise program in both groups (p&lt; 0.05), while there was no difference in the lifting object overhead test (p&gt; 0.05). There was no difference between the changes in functional capacity test scores between the groups after the training (p&gt; 0.05). Conclusion According to our preliminary results, face-to-face and remote spinal stabilization exercise programs caused similarly positive changes in functional capacity test scores (repetitive reaching, sustained overhead tests) of asymptomatic individuals. These exercises are known to improve deep muscle activation. This development may have led to improvements in tests, which mostly evaluate speed, coordination and endurance. Weight lifting capacities have not changed. This may be because stabilization exercises focus more on deep muscle activation and not on developing superficial muscle strength like upper extremity strength(2). Success of exercise training with telerehabilitation may have contributed to the younger population and possibly better adaptation to technology. It is planned that these preliminary results will be extended and make greater contributions to the current literature. References [1]Galbusera F, Côtè P, Negrini S. Expected impact of lockdown measures due to COVID-19 on disabling conditions: a modelling study of chronic low back pain. European spine journal: official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society. 2021;30(10):2944-54. [2]Brumitt J, Matheson J, Meira EP. Core stabilization exercise prescription, part I: current concepts in assessment and intervention. Sports health. 2013;5(6):504-9. [3]Soer R, van der Schans CP, Geertzen JH, Groothoff JW, Brouwer S, Dijkstra PU, et al. Normative values for a functional capacity evaluation. Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation. 2009;90(10):1785-94. Disclosure of Interests None declared